The elder brother of Niranjan Baishnab lodged a police complaint demanding a probe into his sibling’s unnatural death and alleged that the law enforcers had been forcing him to write or make a disclosure related to the murder of Jhalda Congress councillor Tapan Kandu against his wish.
The complaint was lodged on a day the state government moved a division bench of Calcutta High Court seeking a stay on the CBI probe into Tapan’s murder at Jhalda on March 13.
Niranjan, who was one of the key witnesses to the murder of the Congress councillor, was found hanging at his residence on Wednesday. A purported suicide note was also found in the room from where the body was seized.
“The police used to call him regularly to Jhalda police station as a witness to Tapan’s murder and mentally harass him. He was forced to sit at
the police station for a long time. The police also forced him to sign on papers. He was scared of police behaviour,” said Niranjan’s elder brother Nepal Baishnab.
Purulia district police superintendent S. Selvamurugan said the law enforcers had started a case of abetment to suicide under Section 306 of the IPC on the basis of the complaint lodged by Niranjan’s brother.
The probe has failed to satisfy Niranjan’s kin and Nepal demanded a CBI probe on the lines of the one ordered into Tapan’s murder.
“I have lodged a complaint with the police but I don’t believe that they will investigate the case properly as my allegations are against them. So, I demand that the CBI investigate the matter as it is related to the murder of Tapan,” said Nepal.
The CBI started the probe into Tapan’s murder on Wednesday night. A four-member team of CBI went to Tapan’s house at Jhalda and spoke to his wife Purnima and nephew Mithun Kandu in
connection with the case for at least 40 minutes. Later, they visited the murder spot.
“The CBI officers wanted to know about the incident from us. We have narrated the incident,” said Mithun.
The state government’s decision to move the division bench against the CBI probe was questioned by Tapan’s wife Purnima.
“The state government did not oppose the CBI probe into the Bogtui massacre. Why are they trying to prevent the CBI here? It is now clear that the police did not investigate the case properly and now the government is trying to save them,” Purnima said.
Congress president in Purulia and former Jhalda MLA Nepal Mahato said Tapan was a Congress councillor and he was murdered by Trinamul backed goons to form the board at Jhalda municipality. “The police also fabricated the motive of the murder as a family feud to hide the original culprits. So, by creating hurdles in the way of the CBI probe the government is trying to save them,” he said.
